


of spells and cupcakes.

by shuas



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Historical, M/M, and jun's a knight, kind of????, minghao's a healer/wizard
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-31
Updated: 2018-02-14
Packaged: 2019-02-24 09:32:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,779
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13210917
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shuas/pseuds/shuas
Summary: minghao's an in-training healer/wizard who runs a quaint bakery and junhui's his knightly regular customer.





	1. a (k)nightly routine.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> minghao always keeps an extra chocolate cupcake for junhui.

it’s a slow one today.

minghao watches from the cracked window in front of him the rain pouring down, flooding the streets of pledis. the sounds of the  raindrops hitting against the roof of his bakery makes him yawn, eyes slowly beginning to droop as the hours flew by. not a single person was outside; the merchants closed down their stores as soon as they heard the first thunder and scurried home as fast as possible, and the townspeople are probably nestled into their humble abodes, drinking hot tea.

oh, how minghao wants to be home right now. he could be brushing up on his magic instead of being cooped up here. but his mother always nagged him, “don’t close unless you’re dying.”. and minghao is smart enough to not go against her words.

a sigh escapes past his lips as slumps into one of the  empty seats. he didn’t even bring any books to read or study from, and he had already made enough sugary goods to stock for tomorrow morning. all that was left to do was wait for a good two hours until closing.

he’s tired; the rain becomes heavier and the calming atmosphere his bakery gave off with the string of twinkling fairy lights dimming the whole inside made it worse.. he lays his head down on the table, his eyes slowly closing shut.

until he hears the bell above the door jingle, signalling in a customer’s arrival.

minghao’s quick to stand up, but almost immediately relaxes when he see’s wen junhui.

wen junhui.

he’s in his knight armor, as per usual. he holds his silver helmet under his right arm and a sword is tucked under his belt. with every step he took, his paladin metal armor clinks and jingle together. his brown locks are damp and stick to his face, but the stupid grin never leaves his lips.

“hey,” he greets him, sitting down in front of him, “tiring day?”

“i wish,” minghao frowns as he watches the elder set his helmet down, “no customers today, did you see how hard it’s raining out?”

minghao gets up from his seat before quickly heading behind the counter, sliding the display case open and grabbing a chocolate cupcake - junhui’s favorite.

“yeah, training today was rough,” junhui laughs, “just kept sliding on the mud.”

minghao sets the plate down with a small metal fork, “is that all you did today?”

“yep, i’ll be sore as hell the next day, but gotta be trained in case i need to protect people like you.” he gives him a wink and minghao rolls his eyes.

“eat your cupcake, i’ll be right back.” minghao grumbles as he heads to the back once more.

minghao would have never expected to befriend a knight, of all people. and he also would have never expected for junhui to be a devoted regular customer. a knight in training always coming in for chocolate cupcake after a long day of rigorous training… it’s ironic. but, minghao isn’t one to judge. junhui is good company on slow days, as much as he doesn’t want to admit it. he means well despite all his cheesy flirting attempts. junhui appeared out of nowhere one day - and he stayed. 

he grabs a white towel from the storage closet before bringing it out to junhui.

“thanks, darling,” junhui grins, laying the towel atop of his damp hair, “whenever i come here, it’s like i’m coming home to a wife.”

“you should eat instead of saying stupid things,” minghao warns him.

junhui snickers, “sit, darling - tell me how your magic training is going.”

minghao is reluctant, considering junhui seems like he’s never going to drop that pet name, but he does so anyways. junhui’s always the only person who listens to him babble like a nerd about magic - something that’s frowned upon in the small city.

“i learned how to make potions!” he says with much enthusiasm, “i’ve made some ones that boost your energy whenever you feel tired. and i also learned other medicines as well.”

“is that so?” junhui shoves another forkful of the chocolate dessert into his mouth, “impressive.”

minghao couldn’t help but grin at his compliment, “i’m going to check out more books tomorrow at the library after work.”

“sounds like you’re working hard, darling. i’m proud of you.”

“ah..” he could feel his cheeks redden and flush. the good part of junhui aside from his already friendly persona is that he seemed genuinely interested whenever he talked about magic. his friends and family are uncomfortable with it, and being a bit of a show off, minghao has no one to talk or show magic to.  “so.. knight training?”

he’s glad junhui doesn’t seem to notice, “yeah, it’s pretty rough. but i’ve made a lot of good companions. i should bring them here, one day. nothing beats your cupcakes!”

“mom’s top secret recipe - only the best chocolate cupcakes in town,”  he says proudly, “bring them all, they’ll never want to leave!”

“so confident are we?” junhui clicks his tongue, shaking his head. he pushes his now empty pastry plate over to minghao, “it was delicious though, thank you.”

“on the house,” minghao waves his hand in a dismissive manner before taking his plate.

“oh, but i should-“

“as long as you work your ass off to protect this country, you can have all the unlimited desserts you want.”

“i.. i’ll do my best then.” junhui smiles, drying the last droplets from his hair before putting his helmet back on, “i should get going now.”

“it is late, huh,” minghao looks at the hanging wall clock. it’s nearly eight at night, and it was just about closing time as well. he slides one of the velvet curtains over, peering his head outside. the rain didn’t seem like it was going to stop any time soon. “do you want an umbrella?”

“no need, i got a horse out front waiting for me.”

“oh.” minghao nods, placing the dessert plate into the sink. then he pauses. “wait. a horse?”

“how else would i get here?” junhui asks with a slight chuckle.

“i mean, yeah, i get that you’re knights and all but if that horse took a shit on my flowers or ate them out front i will actually ban you from the store.” minghao glares, hands on his hips.

“..well.” there’s a mischevious grin tugging at his lips as he sets the towel down onto the table, “goodnight then!”

“junhui, i swear-“

and before he knows it, the knight flees outside.


	2. library adventures.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> minghao and junhui visit the library.

minghao can’t contain his excitement as he looks at the hanging wall clock, bouncing in his chair as he watches the big hand slowly hit twelve.

break time.

he’s never felt so excited to go on his one hour lunch break before. finally, he can run to the nearest library and check-out a few spell books he’s been eyeing on since forever. and now that he’s returned his previous books and paid off all the late fee debts, he can finally get his hands on them.

the wizard tosses his apron on the counter and grabs his coat and the keys to the bakery. he takes his tote bag hanging from the rack and swings the door open, only to bump his nose right into paladin metal.

junhui.

minghao groans in pain as he rubs his now red nose. he looks up to see the regular knight’s face in horror - as if he had just killed someone.

“oh my god, are you okay?” junhui’s voice is frantic. he places both his hands on either side of the wizard’s shoulder and leans his face in _just a tad_ bit too close for a better examination.

“i’m fine,” minghao mutters, a hand giving his chest a gentle push, “what are you doing here anyways? you don’t come on my lunch breaks.”

and he’s right. junhui either comes in the early mornings for his cupcake or late at night. never in-between.

“you sound like you don’t want to see me.” junhui face feigns hurt, and minghao rolls his eyes.

“i can give you a cupcake but take it for to go. i need to go somewhere and i have to lock up the store.”

“ah,” junhui pauses, taking his helmet off. “you’re going to the library today, right?”

minghao throws him a look, wondering how he could possibly know his whereabouts.

“you told me yesterday night, silly.” junhui adds, and minghao vaguely remembers last night’s conversation.

“right,” minghao nods, briefly checking his wrist. time’s ticking away.

“i want to come with you.” junhui suddenly blurts out, “i mean, if you don’t mind.”

minghao’s a little confused. junhui looks like the least person he knows who would go to a library. but with time eating away at his hour lunch break, he could care less.

“yeah, okay, sure.”

“wait, really?” a stupid grin tugs at the corner’s of junhui’s lips.

“sure, i don’t care. can we just hurry up and leave though?”

“of course, darling. lead the way.”

and he does

* * *

the distance between the library to his bakery is merely five minutes away, located in a deserted alleyway that may or may not be a little… ominous. with large green vines engulfing the entire outside and the single lamp outside flickering, junhui argued that there’s no way a public library could be in such a “dangerous” area.

the wizard doesn’t blame the knight’s suspicion, though. the library is barely taken care of, but inside is a goldmine for magic users like himself. and he knows the librarian would much rather spend his time reading and organizing books inside than worry about the building’s exterior appearance.

having a “eerie” aura around the library is somewhat beneficial - to minghao, at least. almost nobody in the entire city know that the place even exist. it’s a great place for minghao to study in peace and quiet.

“you can stay out here then.” minghao suggests as they stop in front of the small building. “it’ll only be a second or two.”

junhui eyes the building once more before sighing, “i can’t let you go in there by yourself… what if it’s dangerous?”

“i’ve been here before, junhui.” the wizard shakes his head. “and i can take care of myself.”

junhui suddenly puts his metal helmet on top of his head, clicking his tongue, “nonsense. a knight’s duty is to protect the townspeople,” he walks in front, ready to bust down the door open, “and loved ones.” he winks in his direction.

minghao wonders if he should have learned some battle spells instead of healing ones and unleash his skills on the knight, but he ignores the feeling to destroy him. not today.. all he cares about right now is checking out his books.

the door creaks open and they’re greeted by a brooding raven-haired male with large circle spectacles behind the receptionist desk. junhui almost immediately lowers his guard, and minghao shoves him aside.

“wonwoo hyung!” minghao greets, bouncing his way over toward the librarian with eagerness. “how are you?”

said wonwoo person shuts the book he was reading and slides it to the side. a small smirk forms on his lips as a hand reaches over to gently ruffle the younger’s hair. “i’m doing fine. here for your books?”

minghao nods almost too quickly, “you bet!”

“and who’s your friend?” wonwoo gestures to junhui, who’s busy messing around with his figurines on the top shelf of a bookshelf.

“that’s junhui. he’s a regular customer of mine.” minghao explains, yanking the knight over to his side.

“ow.” junhui whines. he looks at wonwoo before dipping his head for a bow. “it’s nice to meet you.”

“a knight, huh.” wonwoo comments, noticing his own reflection on junhui’s silver metal armor. “a wizard and a knight. what are the odds of that happening?” minghao watches the librarian push up his glasses and rise from his seat. he mutters a quiet, “stay here” before disappearing into the back, leaving the wizard alone with junhui.

“he seems..” junhui pauses, gathering his thoughts, “nice?”

“he’s scary at first,” minghao admits, chuckling. “but he means well. he’s a really good hyung who takes care of me.”

“he can take care of you, but when i insist on protecting you, you scoff and roll your eyes at me. i sense favoritism here.” junhui sneers, a hand pinching the apples of minghao’s cheeks.

minghao doesn’t think twice when he immediately swats his hand away, “shut up. your priority is the entire country. isn’t that, like, the knights’ code or something?”

“the entire country and _you too_ , darling.”

minghao really doesn’t know how much of junhui’s shameless flirting attempts he can handle. he opens his mouth again to leave a snarky comment, but wonwoo returns with an arm filled with towering books.

the librarian clears his throat, “if you two are done bickering, i have your books, minghao.”

minghao couldn’t help but be in a fit of giggles when wonwoo set the stack of books down. he picks the first one up into his hands. it’s heavy and almost feels like a dictionary, but larger. the pages are slightly torn and minghao can barely make out some words, but he loves it all anyways.

the wizard must have been too immersed in his spell books because junhui gives him a soft nudge with his shoulder. “i don’t think i’ve ever seen you so happy, darling.” the knight jokes.

“darling?” wonwoo repeats with a slight eyebrow raise towards the younger one. “didn’t know you guys were like _that_.”

minghao snaps from his trance and makes a scowl, “we’re not! he just likes giving me stupid pet names..”

“they’re not stupid, they’re terms of endearment.” junhui corrects him.

wonwoo lets out a soft low chuckle, “right. anyways, you’re free to sit at one of the desks in the back to see which book you want to check out.”

“can’t i check out all of them, hyung?” he asks, jutting out his lower lip in an attempt to pursue the librarian with whatever cuteness he had in him.

“no can do, minghao. three books per person only.” wonwoo reminds him, causing the wizard to frown. “but i can put the rest of these books on hold for you once you return the rest of them - on time, at least.”

he can compensate with that. he gathers a large sum of books into his arms, junhui following his suit and carrying the rest, before giving the librarian a cheeky smile, “thanks, hyung! i’m gonna go pick some out now!”

“sure thing, minghao. let me know when you’re done.”

minghao leads junhui down the long aisles of tall rustic bookshelves until they enter the study area. there’s a few round desks with matching chairs scattered throughout the room. of course, they’re all empty seats. minghao finds himself settle down to his favorite spot by the window.

“you don’t need to stay with me while i go through these..” minghao mutters, taking a seat across from the knight. he did feel a little guilty for dragging him along. he’s a knight, not a magic user. what is he going to do here anyways aside from being bored to death?

“nonsense,” junhui smiles, grabbing one of the books from the pile, “this stuff is pretty cool. i would never be able to do these cool spells.” minghao watches him flip through each page, eyes sparkling in amazement.

“it’s so awesome, right?” minghao grins from ear to ear. “you can do so much with magic… i can’t believe people think so badly of it.”

“well,” junhui pauses, “the country did have a long battle with our neighboring country a few centuries back -- who were also magic users. we still have some tension til this day, unfortunately.”

minghao frowns, “why aren’t we on good terms with them? the king always preached about world peace and avoiding any sort of conflict.”

“ah, so i’ll be giving you a bit of a history lesson today, huh?” junhui grins, leaning back in his chair. “this might be hard to believe, but before our current king became ruler, his previous brothers were rather.. vicious? they were power hungry. they wanted to conquer the entire land.”

“the north was the biggest threat to us. they were skilled magic users, and anyone who posses that kind of power could be extremely dangerous. like you said, you can do so much with magic. they wanted to get rid of them, but it didn’t go so well.. the battle ended in a draw after fighting for several years, then the past king died, now our current ruler is trying to create peace treaties.”

minghao sits in his chair, stunned. he’s amazed by junhui’s knowledge about the country’s history. he also never knew that the beloved country he lived in was once so evil. their current ruler is a nice old man with a long white beard who promoted peace and harmony. who would have guessed his brothers were so different?

“before he died, he created rumors and slander about magic users. he said they were evil, cruel, two-faced, and the list can go on, really.” junhui heaves a heavy sigh. he notices minghao wince upon hearing his words, and the knight holds the wizard’s hand in a comforting manner.

“not everyone thinks like that anymore, darling. i think you’re fantastic.”

there’s pure sincerity in junhui’s eyes and minghao feels his face flush in embarrassment. his hand is noticeably bigger and feels rougher than his, yet it’s warm. he quickly retracts his hand away. “i-i know that.. i have lots of friends who support me being a magic user.”

“and i’m so glad to hear that.” junhui gives him another sweet smile before averting his attention back to his book. “i hope later down the line there could be peace again.”

“me too..” minghao mutters under his breath.

“anyways! enough of history lessons, when are you going to show me some of your skills? you want to become a healer, don’t you?”

“ah,” minghao nods his head, “i know a few spells. they can clean up deep wounds pretty well.”

“that’s great! if i ever get roughed up at practice, i’ll come to you.”

“i-i don’t know about that.. what if i turn you into a frog or something? or make your injuries worse?”

junhui waves a hand in a dismissive manner, “don’t be silly. i trust you, darling. besides, it’s a good chance to practice more, right?”

minghao scoffs, “so you’re offering to be my guinea pig?”

“if i get to spend more time with you, then yes, i’d say it’s worth it.”

minghao huffs, “you’re ridiculous, junhui.”

 

* * *

the lunch hour goes by much faster than minghao would have liked. after scanning through each book, he finally narrowed it down to his favorite three. he checks them out, bids wonwoo goodbye, and the two are finally back in front of the bakery again.

minghao fishes through his tote bag for the keys to the bakery before unlocking the door, “thanks for coming with me, junhui.”

“of course, darling. i think i made quite the impression on your wonwoo friend.” the knight says with utmost proud. and he was right. minghao has never seen wonwoo laugh so hard. who knew he had a thing for junhui’s dad jokes.

the two enter the quaint bakery, minghao switching on the lights and hanging his bag on the coat rack. the knight makes his way toward his usual spot while the wizard grabs two chocolate cupcakes.

“are you sure you won’t be late for training?” minghao asks, slightly worried. he slides the gold plate to junhui. “you were with me for over an hour now.”

“nah. knight seungcheol is super chill. he’ll understand.” junhui reassured the latter, taking a forkful into his mouth. “besides, i’ll get him a cupcake to go and he’ll forgive me. sucker for sweets.”

“geez, does all your knight friends like sweets? you should bring them here. my mom would love that.” minghao snickers, imagining his mother gawking at all the young in-training knights and treating them as if they were her own sons.

“no way! they’ll find out you’re better than the cupcakes. and then what? i’ll just have a bunch of competition!”

minghao groans. “junhui, i swear to god-”

“some of those guys are total pigs by the way they talk about women. what will they do to you? taint your innocence!” junhui rants on.

“junhui, i’m fucking twenty years old, i don’t-”

“clearly still a baby! i need to protect you, darling, you don’t understand!”

“jun-”

“i like you too much, sue me. i can’t help that you’re so cute.”

minghao then promptly kicks junhui out of his bakery, heart rapidly thumping against his chest and all. that was enough junhui for one day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i want to finish this fic i have it all planned out bUT I JUST NEED TO WRITE IT AND MY BRAIN WON'T WRITE AHHHHHHHHHHH i'M GOING TO FINISH THIS i sWEAR
> 
> also, this fic isn't supposed to be long. at most 5 chapters, so if it seems rushed rn, i'm sorry but that's probably why !!


	3. feelings are confusing.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> minghao and junhui sort their feelings out. kind of.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LISTEN,,,,,,,, IF MINGHAO LIKES HIS MULLET WE'RE ////ALL//// SUPPORTING HIS MULLET,,,,,,,, i dON'T WANNA HEAR ANYONE ELSE TALKING BAD ABOUT THAT PRECIOUS BOY >: (((  
> i actually kinda like it tbh him and baekhyun can really make it work

today’s been the busiest day of minghao’s entire life. possibly the busiest day for the entire year. 

his mother had told him she had put out ad flyers throughout the city in hopes to bring a little more income with the next rent payment due soon. he expected maybe a few new faces here and there, but all in all, he thought it wouldn’t make too much of a difference.

but his mother might be some sort of godly business woman in her past life because when he goes  to unlock the store the following morning, there was already a line of people just itching to get inside.

thus, minghao spends most of his morning running from the cash register to the oven in the back kitchen. with his mother busy tending other errands out in the city, he was forced to call upon some extra hands to help out the store. 

he calls vernon first - his childhood best friend. the two grew up together with hips attached. vernon’s the son of the town’s blacksmith, and is often seen helping his father wielding weapons or repairing worn out armor for the country’s military. he’s reluctant to help out at first, because the damn bastard always wants free things out of favours, but he comes by anyways.

then he practically begs kim mingyu, the proud owner of the famous seafood restaurant in the downtown district of the city, to come by and bake him sweets. mingyu, being the cuisine snob he is, refuses at first simply because baking sweets isn’t his forte, but minghao promises he’ll buy him that expensive jacket he’s been eyeing, and he’s sold.

his poor soul is saved thanks to the two of them. even wonwoo came by to help clear up some dishes at one point.

it’s nearly one in the afternoon when the last few remaining customers from the morning’s rush left. minghao slumps into an empty seat in exhaustion. he’s never been on his feet for that long before. at least, it's been awhile since he was.

“thanks guys,” minghao mutters, head resting on the cool surface of the wooden circular table, “i don’t know what i’d do without you guys.”

he feels wonwoo gently pat his hair, “you think the afternoon will be busy too?”

“god, i hope not. i have my own restaurant to attend, you know.” mingyu sneers, tossing his flour covered apron on the counters. “never in my life did i have to cook that many cupcakes.”

“sorry..” the wizard frowns. “i’m sure you can leave now. the afternoon shifts are usually dead silent.”

“what _ exactly  _ did your mom promote that just garnered the attention of practically everyone in this entire city?” wonwoo asks, and minghao wishes he knew.

“she probably exaggerated some things or something. that sounds like something she would do.”

“mrs.xu is the best.” vernon laughs, taking a seat across from him with a slice of banana bread in hand. “you still need me after this?”

minghao quickly shakes his head no, feeling guilty he had to drag all of his friends into his mess, “you can go back too. i think i can handle the rest.”

“are you sure, hao? the blacksmith isn’t normally busy. we just get big projects sometimes, but it’s been a slow week for us lately.” vernon assures, bread crumbs falling into his lap.

minghao rolls his eyes, “hasn’t your mother taught you not to talk with your mouth full?”

“oh, come on! i’m not nearly as bad as kim  _ germ _ gyu over there.” 

mingyu flushes a deep red while the rest burst out into a fit of laughter.

“ _ one time _ i sneeze without covering my mouth in front of a food critic and now i’m labeled as  _ kim germgyu _ all over the papers! this is absolute slander.” mingyu huffs angrily, storming over to flick vernon’s forehead.

“it should be instinctive to cover up when you feel a sneeze coming.” wonwoo says flatly, eyes not taking off the local newspaper he’s reading.

“shut up. don’t you have a library to attend?!” mingyu grumbles, snatching the newspaper from wonwoo’s hands. “and who reads these anymore? everything’s digital!”

wonwoo scowls, “i was reading that! the web is too confusing for me and i would like to have a physical book in my hands if i’m going to read.” 

“anyways!” minghao interjects before mingyu could rebuttal, “i think you guys can all go home now. if i need any help, wonwoo’s down the street and vernon doesn’t live too far either! and i promise i won’t bother you, ger- i mean mingyu.”

mingyu huffs, ruffling the wizard’s blonde locks. “you can bother me once in a while. just don’t call often, though.”

a few more minutes of chattering amongst the group, minghao sends them off to their respectful places. all except vernon, who eats his third slice of banana bread and giving minghao an odd look.

“what?” minghao asks, hands on his hips as he closes the front door shut. “didn’t i feed you enough bread?”

“sooo, you and that knight guy?”

vernon’s the only person he has told about wen junhui, the knight who happens to be his regular customer and likes to shamelessly flirt with him. sometimes, minghao wonders if he’s being serious or just teasing him, which is why he runs to vernon, who has far more dating and relationship experiences than him, despite being a tad bit younger.

but minghao’s taken back by the sudden question. they haven’t talked about wen junhui in nearly a month. nothing new has happened, just their usual banter. “w-what about him?”

“he should be coming around this time, right? since he didn’t come this morning.” vernon raises an eyebrow, and a smirk plays on his lips.

“i don’t know.. i guess? he either comes right when i open or right before i close..”

“oh, i see,” vernon hums in amusement, and minghao wants to hurt him, “so uh, you like him?”

does xu minghao like wen junhui? never did that thought come across his mind despite knowing each other for so long. junhui is undoubtedly nice. he’s the only person who listens to him about his problems (aside from vernon and wonwoo, of course) and finds magic fascinating. junhui is also rather handsome. his mother always tells him to marry a man like him. junhui also has really nice hands that one time he held it a few months back. and sometimes, whenever junhui smiles at him, his heart skips a beat. and he certainly is the gentleman type - he always offers to take him home at the night of the night because it’s “dangerous”. and juhui looks really good in his knight unif--

“oh,  _ no.”  _

vernon notices the sudden realization and look of panic in his best friend’s eyes, “jackpot.”

“no way! i mean, he’s nice, sure. and, like, i don’t know, sometimes already acts like he’s my boyfriend. but-but we’re not together! and, ugh.. vernon! why did you have to ask me that?!” minghao whines, and vernon only laughs at his misery.

“i was honestly just curious! besides, i’m sure the feelings mutual by the way he acts around you. i don’t get what you’re so worried about.” vernon says, patting his friend’s back. 

and minghao doesn’t know why either. maybe because if they did end up together, they might ruin the friendship they have if they possibly broke up? or maybe because he’s never had a serious relationship before, let alone have his first kiss, and has no idea what he’s doing? or maybe it’s both? it’s definitely both.

“i.. don’t know.” minghao heaves a heavy sigh. “i don’t want to potentially ruin anything between us, i guess.”

“yeah, i get it. but you never know until you try, right?”

“i think that’s the smartest thing you’ve ever said to me in all my life of knowing you.”

vernon rolls his eyes, jabbing his best friend’s sides with his elbow, “i’m a man with wisdom, alright?”

and of course, the devil himself walks in with the awfully familiar sounds of metal clinking against each other. minghao’s quick to jump to his feet, smoothing out the wrinkles in his uniform.

“hey, darling.” he could feel the knight grinning under his helmet. his eyes lock with vernon, then back to the wizard, “oh, i’m sorry. am i interrupting something?”

“nope! just about to leave. thanks for the bread, hao.” vernon gets up from his seat before whispering a quick  _ “just try” _ in his ear before walking out with, yet, another piece of bread.

that just leaves the two of them in an awkward silence. 

“who was that?” junhui asks with curiosity, sitting in the now empty seat vernon once preoccupied. 

“that was vernon.. he’s my childhood friend.” he explains, “oh, and, we ran out of chocolate cupcakes you like so much. but i can go make some for you? it’ll only take about twenty minutes or so.”

junhui chuckles, shaking his head no. “don’t worry about it. just sit.”

he’s hesitant to do so, but the wizard sucks in a deep breath before taking a seat across from him.

“how was work?” 

“really busy, for once.” minghao laughs a little. “my mom sent out ad flyers a few nights ago, and i guess they worked.”

“ahh, i knew it! my friend soonyoung was talking about seeing some sort of ad for a bakery in the city and he really wants to try the apple pie.” junhui clicks his tongue. “he’s late to the party.”

“it’s.. overwhelming.” minghao admits sheepishly. “before, it was just a quaint bakery old couples liked to visit. then you came along. then.. my mom happened. and now it might become a big business or something? in just a short’s month span?”

“aw, darling.” junhui says in the sweetest voice that really gets minghao’s heart going.

“b-but anyways!” minghao fakes up a cough. “how was training? also, aren’t you hot under that thing?” the wizard points out that the knight still had his helmet on, something he doesn’t normally do. once he’s inside, he almost immediately takes it off. junhui has always complained about how hot it gets under there.

“right, uh..” it’s junhui’s turn to sigh. he slowly lifts his helmet off, revealing a crimson red cut on his left cheek. minghao gasps, and nearly knocks his chair over when he stands up to rush over towards the back kitchen.

over the past few months, minghao has learned a thing or two about performing basic first aid spells. he would often practice on wonwoo whenever he gets papercuts (which is rather frequent, for some reason. the librarian reads a lot) and the results are seemingly positive. they have seemed to heal within just a few hours span, and injuries are almost completely gone by the following day.

he grabs a kitchen towel and runs it under the sink. the wizard then rushes back to junhui’s aid, kneeling beside him and gently dabbing away any of the excess blood. 

“what happened?” minghao asks, frowning.

junhui winces with each dab of the towel, “we were practicing using swords..”

“did you actually fight someone or something? i thought you guys use wooden sticks when sparring?” with closer observation, the cut definitely pierced through several layers of skin. 

“it doesn’t work like that, darling. we need to be ready to go into battle, so of course we need to get used to using real swords.”

“that just sounds dangerous..” minghao frowns. 

junhui couldn’t help but chuckle at that, “it was an accident. soonyoung apologized like no tomorrow and seungcheol gave him an earful today.”

“well.. at least he said he was sorry.” minghao sighs, shaking his head. he sets the towel in his lap before slowly bringing his hand closer to junhui’s left cheek. but he pauses, right before he could make any sort of contact.

“i’m.. going to use a spell. is that okay?”

“sure, darling. i still haven’t seen you show those off yet. how exciting.” junhui snickers, and minghao rolls his eyes.

“alright, just, stay put. don’t pull away.” junhui gives him a nod and minghao sucks in a deep breath before fluttering his eyes shut. he mutters a quiet spell verse under his breath. the palm of his hands glow a bright yellow, and he gently cups the side of junhui’s cheek, thumb brushing over the cut.

they stay like that for a long minute, even after the spell wore off; minghao’s hand gently caressing  the side of junhui’s face, and the knight subconsciously brings his own hand to lie on top of his. 

“ _ minghao _ , darling,” junhui suddenly says, and minghao feels a shiver crawl down his spine when he calls out his name in the loveliest way possible.  “i-”

they’re interrupted by the bakery door swinging wide open, revealing a concerned librarian and blacksmith’s son. 

“oh, shit.” vernon mutters, stealing a glance at wonwoo. “uhhh, we don’t mean to interrupt but, there’s a huge line outside and we came by to check on you..”

minghao quickly retracts his hand, getting up from the floor and dusting himself off. “t-the cut should stop bleeding now.” the wizard points out as he hands the knight a band-aid. “put this on and it should be healed in no time.”

“i, uh, need to get back to work.” minghao rubs his nape sheepishly. “are you sure you don’t want a cupcake?”

“i’ll come back later tonight.” junhui promises, sticking the band-aid on the side of his face. “take care, darling.”

“r-right, you too..”

the knight throws on his metal helmet once again before dipping his head down, bidding both vernon and wonwoo goodbye. and he’s out the door.

“oh my god.” minghao groans, hands burying into the palms of his hands. “oh my god, oh my god, oh my god.”

“that was like a scene out of a movie. or a romance novel.” wonwoo snickers, and minghao isn’t having it today.

* * *

the rest of the day plays out similarly to the morning shift. customer after customer, minghao keeps himself busy in the kitchen, trying to forget the recent events during the afternoon. there was something _ there, _ and it definitely wasn’t his magic.

nonetheless, after another rough six hours, minghao sends his friends home and thanks them with endless amounts of sweet treats on the house. he prays to god that tomorrow wouldn’t be nearly as busy, and the bakery resumes being a quiet space for him. 

“finally.” minghao mutters to particularly no one but himself. he scans the now empty bakery; there were too many empty dishes to count and clean and cupcake liners littered the tables. it’s going to take him a good while for him to clean all the mess up and prepare for tomorrow’s shift.

but, standing around and moping isn’t going to solve anything. he grabs a plastic trash bag and begins lazily tossing the scraps away.

it’s almost an hour before closing, and like the knight promised earlier, he did swing by again. but this time, he’s out of uniform - something minghao has never seen before since they first met. 

“junhui.” minghao greets him, setting the empty pastry plates down on the table. “hey, i’m sorry. i didn’t get to make you your cupcake.” he frowns as he takes a look back at the kitchen. “but i can make you one. i still have some cupcake batter left.”

the knight shakes his head, “no, i’m good. it uh..” he pauses, taking a good look around his surroundings. he has never seen the bakery so unkempt before, especially with an employee like minghao, where he wants everything in perfect form. “was busy, huh?”

minghao chuckles dryly, “yeah.” his eyes automatically go for junhui’s left cheek. the band-aid he had given him earlier still there. “how’s your cut? does it sting?”

“no, it’s actually healing quite fast.” junhui gives him a reassuring smile. “thanks to your help, darling.”

minghao sighs in relief. 

“were you worried for me?” junhui quirks a suggestive brow.

“no! i-i mean.. it looked like it hurt. and i was more worried for myself because it was my first time using a spell on you!” the wizard defends himself, arms folding across his chest. “there wasn’t any… side effects though, right?”

“no, silly. you did great. i’m in your debt.” the knight laughs, reaching over to ruffle the younger one’s hair. 

“hmph.” minghao huffs, swatting the other’s hand away and attempting to ignore his fluttering heartbeat. “so.. not to come off as rude, but what are you here for if you’re not even getting your cupcake? and i don’t think i’ve ever seen you out of uniform.”

“good observations, darling.” junhui takes the empty pastry plates from the latter’s hand— to much minghao’s confusion. “i knew you were busy all day, and training today ended early, so i thought i’d drop by and help!”

“oh.. junhui, you don’t need—“

“hush now, i said i was in your debt.” he winks, taking the plates to the back kitchen. “also, i hope you realize that i’m not visiting every day just for a cupcake.”

minghao’s quick to follow behind him, helping him lead to the sink. “don’t say you come every day just to visit  _ me _ .”

“but it’s true! the cupcake is just a little extra bonus for me.” junhui says, setting the plates down. he turns around, hands on his hips, eyes locking with minghao’s.

“why don’t you ever believe me?”

minghao gulps. while his face expression is calm and collected, he could sense the hint of seriousness in the latter’s tone. “i-i don’t know.. i can never tell if you’re being serious or not.”  _ except, maybe right now _ , minghao thinks.

“well,” junhui starts, back leaning against the tabletop counter’s, “everything i’ve said to you is the truth. you don’t think i go around treating people the same way i treat you, do you?”

minghao wants to say yes — but with junhui’s expression, his sense of tone, and the overall heavy and awkward atmosphere in the room, he knew that wasn’t the case. and in some ways, minghao genuinely feels bad. junhui isn’t some sleaze who flirts with whoever he can get, and minghao wants to punch himself for having that thought cross his mind in the slightest.

wen junhui, is, a genuine wholesome person. and he’s foolish for thinking otherwise.

the wizard nervously chews his bottom lip, head hanging low, unable to respond.

“oh, minghao.” junhui sighs, lips curving into a sad smile. he spreads his arms wide as he gestures the younger over. minghao’s reluctant, but does so anyway, and finds himself being engulfed in the warmth of junhui’s arms. and he suddenly doesn’t mind possibly spending the rest of his life like this, either.

“i think i’ve told you countless times how much i like you.” junhui chuckles softly, nose nuzzling the tops of minghao’s hair. “whether you return those feelings for me or not, i’m not going anywhere. all i want for us is to continue where things are right now.”

minghao stiffens. he could feel junhui’s own heartbeat thumping against his chest.

“and..” junhui pauses, pulling back, minghao suddenly missing the warmth of his arms. “i’m sorry if i was a little too bold. i guess that’s just who i am.. but if you want me to tone it down, i will!”

the wizard’s brain feels clustered and overwhelmed to even create a proper response to the knight. but he manages to mutter a quiet “thank you” under his breath — just loud enough for the other to hear it.

“can i request one thing though?” 

“what?”

“can i still call you darling? it just.. feels so weird to call you by your first name after so long.” 

minghao rolls his eyes, playfully nudging junhui’s side. 

“sure.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> in case anyone is a little confused: they're not together juuuuust yet! minghao just realizes his feelings towards him (and ngl he's in denial a lil bit) but junhui confirms his feelings towards him to clear up any misunderstandings. jun can kind of sense already that minghao can't give him an immediate answer towards his confession (he's just a noob at relationships!!) so he respects that and will wait for minghao's proper answer!!


End file.
